Neurotransmitters and hormones, as well as other types of extracellular signals such as light and odors, create intracellular signals by altering the amounts of cyclic nucleotide monophosphates (cAMP and cGMP) within cells. These intracellular messengers alter the functions of many intracellular proteins. Cyclic AMP regulates the activity of cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA). PKA phosphorylates and regulates the function of many types of proteins, including ion channels, enzymes, and transcription factors. Downstream mediators of cGMP signaling also include kinases and ion channels. In addition to actions mediated by kinases, cAMP and cGMP bind directly to some cellular proteins and directly regulate their activities.
Cyclic nucleotide monophosphates are produced from the actions of adenylyl cyclase and guanylyl cyclase, which convert ATP to cAMP and GTP to cGMP. Extracellular signals, often through the actions of G protein-coupled receptors, regulate the activities of the cyclases. Alternatively, the amount of cAMP and cGMP may be altered by regulating the activities of the enzymes that degrade cyclic nucleotide monophosphates. Cell homeostasis is maintained by the rapid degradation of cyclic nucleotide mono-phosphates after stimulus-induced increases. The enzymes that degrade cyclic nucleotide monophosphates are called 3′,5′-cyclic nucleotide-specific phosphodiesterases (PDEs).
Eleven PDE gene families (PDE1-PDE11) have been identified based on their distinct amino acid sequences, catalytic and regulatory characteristics, and sensitivity to small molecule inhibitors. These families are coded for by 21 genes; and further multiple splice variants are transcribed from many of these genes. Expression patterns of each of the gene families are distinct. PDEs differ with respect to their affinity for cAMP and cGMP. Activities of different PDEs are regulated by different signals. For example, PDE1 is stimulated by Ca2+/calmodulin. PDE2 activity is stimulated by cGMP. PDE3 is inhibited by cGMP. PDE4 is cAMP specific and is specifically inhibited by rolipram. PDE5 is cGMP-specific. PDE6 is expressed in retina.
PDE10 sequences were identified by using bioinformatics and sequence information from other PDE gene families (Fujishige et al., J. Biol. Chem. 274:18438-18445, 1999; Loughney et al., Gene 234:109-117, 1999; Soderling et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 96:7071-7076, 1999). The PDE10 gene family is distinguished based on its amino acid sequence, functional properties and tissue distribution. The human PDE10 gene is large, over 200 kb, with up to 24 exons coding for each of the splice variants. The amino acid sequence is characterized by two GAF domains (which bind cGMP), a catalytic region, and alternatively spliced N and C termini. Numerous splice variants are possible because at least three alternative exons encode N termini and two exons encode C-termini. PDE10A1 is a 779 amino acid protein that hydrolyzes both cAMP and cGMP. The Km values for cAMP and cGMP are 0.05 and 3.0 micromolar, respectively. In addition to human variants, several variants with high homology have been isolated from both rat and mouse tissues and sequence banks.
PDE10 RNA transcripts were initially detected in human testis and brain. Subsequent immunohistochemical analysis revealed that the highest levels of PDE10 are expressed in the basal ganglia. Specifically, striatal neurons in the olfactory tubercle, caudate nucleus and nucleus accumbens are enriched in PDE10. Western blots did not reveal the expression of PDE10 in other brain tissues, although immunoprecipitation of the PDE10 complex was possible in hippocampal and cortical tissues. This suggests that the expression level of PDE10 in these other tissues is 100-fold less than in striatal neurons. Expression in hippocampus is limited to the cell bodies, whereas PDE10 is expressed in terminals, dendrites and axons of striatal neurons.
The tissue distribution of PDE10 indicates that PDE10 inhibitors can be used to raise levels of cAMP and/or cGMP within cells that express the PDE10 enzyme, for example, in neurons that comprise the basal ganglia and therefore would be useful in treating a variety of neuropsychiatric conditions involving the basal ganglia such as obesity, non-insulin dependent diabetes, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, and the like.
Existing therapeutics for schizophrenia are efficacious only at treating positive symptoms of the disease. Negative symptoms, including flattened affect, social withdrawal as well as cognitive deficits are not ameliorated by current medications, which primarily target the mesolimbic dopamine system. Therefore, novel treatments for schizophrenia are needed to specifically improve negative symptoms and cognitive deficits associated with the disease. The present invention fulfills this need and related needs.